Sabah Zita Benson, first female to be appointed as Ghana's High Commissioner [1] to the United Kingdom &Northern Ireland. She is a lawyer,diplomat,politician,and entrepreneur. She has held several notable positions in Ghana's public service including Minister of Information and Minister of Tourism. [2] She also served as Ghana's Ambassador to the Czech Republic, [3] with concurrent accreditation to Slovakia,Hungary,Romania,and Macedonia. As Ghana’s High Commissioner-Designate to the United Kingdom,she's welcome the government's removal of the COVID-19 levy and efforts to stabilise the local currency by addressing the dollar peg,describing them as positive steps toward economic recovery. [4]
Benson holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and Law from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (1996–1999). She earned her LLB from the University of Ghana (2002–2004) and was called to the Bar at the Ghana School of Law (2006). She later pursued a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Oil and Gas at the University of Ghana (2012–2014).[ citation needed ]
In 2009,she was appointed Ghana's Minister of Information,where she focused on government communication reforms,including the documentary "The People Must Know",and coordinated media engagements for ministers. She also worked with the White House and U.S. Secret Service during Barack Obama's visit to Ghana that year. [5]
From 2010 to 2011,she served as the Minister of Tourism,where she helped pass the Tourism Bill,built a hospitality training school,and opened tourism offices in New York and London. [6]
Between 2014 and 2016,she served as Ghana's Ambassador to the Czech Republic. Her tenure saw the signing of bilateral agreements with Hungary,including visa-free travel for diplomatic passport holders and the re-establishment of Hungary's embassy in Accra. [7]
She was the NDC Parliamentary Candidate for Dome-Kwabenya in the 2008 elections. [8] She has held various leadership roles in political committees and campaigns,including as founder of the Finishing Hard NDC Campaign Team (2022–2024) and co-founder of the Boots on the Ground Campaign for Election 2024.
Benson received the "Forty Under 40" Award from TNJ Magazine,New York in 2010, [9] and has been honored by the Ghana Association of Las Vegas for her leadership. She has also been recognized by the West Africa Nobles Forum for her integrity and public service ethics.
She is married to Bobby Benson,a pharmacist. [10] Together they have 3 children.